'Brilliant' Britain's Got Talent for Roch sub-postmaster

Western Telegraph

3 hours ago

Former Roch sub postmaster Tim Brentnall is still buzzing from his Britain's Got Talent experience with Hear our Voice, the joyous choir of people whose lives have all been directly affected by the Horizon scandal, that had the BGT judges and audience on its feet.
He was initially reluctant to join when fellow sub postmaster Mark said that he wanted to start a singing group.
(Image: Tim Brentnall) 'He approached a few of us at a BBC event and suggested that we do something nice together,' said Tim.
'We got on a group of people but only was each other at enquiries or events to do with the negative past.
'At that point I said anything but singing.'
However, encouraged by his partner Steph, he went to the first rehearsals and began to enjoy the experience.
By this point the choir had enlisted Will and the People who had offered them access to their back catalogue of songs and joined to give the choir support.
The choir practised online right up until the day before the Britain's Got Talent audition in Blackpool's Winter Gardens, when they all sang together in the same room for the first time.
'I remember saying. We will either be able to do it in an hour's time or we will be able to do it,' said Tim.
'It was terrifying. When you stand out in practice in a 5,000 seat theatre, I was thinking 'what have I got myself into', said Tim.
'But you are standing there with people who have supported each other through the worst times.
"We wanted to stand together and show how strong we are. The desire to get out there was much stronger than the fear.'
(Image: Britain's Got Talent/ ITV)
All the judges loved their performance and chose them for the semi-finals.
The reaction at the semi finals was just as positive with the judges praising the joyful and unifying performance and the public vote sending them through to the finals.
'To get the public vote to win the semi final was so heartening,' said Tim.
'It showed that people still care about our story. It was brilliant.
'We never expected to reach the finals. We were happy to keep our story alive.'
The story continues to be kept alive with the release yesterday, Saturday, June 7, of Falling Down, a collaboration between Will and the People and Hear our Voice. The track has been released across all streaming platforms and a physical copy will also be available to buy.
All money raised will support Lost Chances, a charity for the children of sub postmasters and the Horizon Shortfall Fund charity.
(Image: Britain's Got Talent/ ITV) 'We set up the choir with three objectives; to keep our story in the public eye, to give people in the choir something joyful in a safe, therapeutic environment and to raise some money for the two sub post masters' charities.'
So far the single has had a very positive reception with airtime on BBC Radio 2 and Radio Wales.
'For me being in the choir has been brilliant,' said Tim. 'I'm still in a complicated battle with the Post Office which is almost totally consuming of my energy and time.
'This has been a really good distraction.
"When I've got a song to learn or a practice it's very mindful. A good way away from the negative things.
'We've got to know each other much better and support each other really well. You've always got these people you can reach out to when you need a pick up.
"It's been really good like that.'
To stream Falling Down by Will and the People and Hear our Voice, go to https://ffm.to/fallingdownlive, linked above.